Many long term care facilities and private persons within their home environment utilize a common arm chair or easy or reclining chair for sitting supported for long periods of time.
Many of these persons are advanced in age and have lost tone, musculature, and the ability to hold their spines in a straight position in the chair.
An example of this is a person suffering Cardio Vascula Accident (CVA) commonly referred to as a stroke. The hemiplegic paralysis cause musculature to waste on the side of the body affected.
As the muscle wastes the person leans to one side more and more over time until they collapse. This position causes many side effects including but not limited to collapse of vascular beds, scoliosis, pressure ulcers, shearing ulcers, pain and discomfort. As well as these physical effects that affect a person's health, uncontrolled leaning or collapsing to one side can affect a person's ability to function and participate with their community.
There are many other conditions that can cause leaning to one side. Indeed, many/most people will have some form of scoliosis by the time they are old. This will lead to similar issues as those expressed for persons with CVA.
Seating support issues are addressed by specialized wheel chairs with full seating systems or backrests with lateral supports and specialized pressure care products.
Also, specialized arm chairs or easy or reclining chairs with lateral supports are available. Specialized chairs providing lateral support have lateral supports integrally built into the chair, or specialty chairs are provided with mounting systems to which optional proprietary supports can be fitted. Such specialized chairs are expensive.
Another known lateral support system uses foam supports that sit loosely or are fixed to a chair using hook-and-loop attachment straps. Such supports can be difficult to use. The position of these supports can shift or move on the chair. The position of the supports may be difficult to replicate between uses, and these supports can collapse or condense through use over time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved lateral support system and/or apparatus for a chair, or to at least provide the public or medical care professionals a useful choice.